Headblock strap



March 12, 1929.

c. F. RUMELY f HEADBLOCK STRAP Filed Feb. 4. 1928 Hill l Z/ INVENTOR.

6. Z? fl amegy.

v TTORNEY'. Y

Patented Mar. 12, 1929.

N T D-5m ara . CORNELIUS r. RUMEYLY, or nn'rnoir, MICHIGAN, assrenoa To Evans Arrro LOADING. ,co.I1\1c.,;or nn'rnommronrean. x I 1 Application filed. February 4,1925. Serial No. 251,936.

This inventionrelates to decks for supporting automobiles in freight cars and'the like for the purpose of shipment, and has more particular referenceto an improved I 5 head block strap for use in anchoring or holding the wheel hub of the automobile in'the head block of such a deck. 3

' The method of'anchoring' or holding the wheel hub into the head block of a deck has.

, 9 been to nail a comparatively long straight strap over the hub and to the head blockiof the deck afterthe automobile wheel hub has been placed in the head block. With this method of fastening the. hub in place-after 5 the automobile has been placed on the deck, it has been found diflicult in many instances to obtain sufficient: tension in the holding strap to assure complete elimination of movement of thehub in the head block 'of 9 the deck. It has also been found that; due

to the length of strap necessarily used, there is. a tendency for the strap to stret'ch or become loosened even though itfmight' have which may be readily'applied so as to' in.

sure complete elimination of moyement "of the hub in the head bloclgand which, when once applied, will not stretcher become loosened. I

A further object strap of the above kind which may be e00 nomically manufactured, by means of which a firm purchase may behad upon the wheel. hub, and which will present no objectionable inwardly projecting parts capable of interfering with proper seatingof the wheel,

hub in the head block of the deck.

Other objects will appear as the nature of the'invention' is better understood, and the same consists in the novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing: V Figure 1' is a fragmentary transverse section of a freight car, showing one of a plu rality of decks used to support an automobile in an elevated position within the car, the deck being equipped with a head is to provide a head block block strap embodying the present 'invention; I

Figure 2 is-an enlarged fragmentary verhead section on line 2 -2 of Figure- 1; I 1

Figure 3is a vertical section on line 3'3 of Figure '2'; and

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic plan. view illustrating the blank fromLwhich thepresen't head block strap is formed, as well asshow v mg. the manner in which a plurality'of the blanks may be conveniently tam m a r sheet of metal. v

Referring more in detail to the. drawing, 5 indicates the freight car'having 'a'fioor 6 and side walls 7, and within which the auto mobile 8'is supported in an elevated position for shipment by means of a plurality of decks, one of which is shown at 9. The

' decks may beof any well knownor pre{ ferred construction, but as shown',.cons'ists.

.12 for snug seating reception. of the shipping hub cap 13 used onthehub 14 of the auto;

mobile wheel It will of course be understood that the'buck is arranged in an 'up;

wardly and inwardly inclined position as shown in Figure 1, inwhich position it'is' securely held by means of a brace 16 inter posed between the side wall 7 of the carand; the-upper end of the deck. The upper por-' tionv of the inner surface of the head block 11 is usually beveled" as at 17 so that this beveled surface portion is vertically dis posed when the deck issecured in its laterally" inclined position of Figure 1, thereby enabling proper seating of the shipping hub cap'13 in'the seat 12. y i i The present invention aims to provide an improved device or stlr'ap adapted to be placed over the. shippingfhub cap 13 and fastened to the head block 11 for firmly anchoringor holding thewheel hub or shipping hub cap in the seat 12 of the head its upperedge with a.circular seat or notch Y block. As shown, this strap is formed from a blank stamped from a sheet ofmetal in the shape shown in Figure 1 and consisting of one side of the end portions 18; The central 75' of a pair of supporting legsf10" arranged; in I or intermediate portion 19 is offset laterally With respect to the end portions 18 substantially a distance equal to the width of the strip so 'asfto define longitudinally aligned lines of connection 20 between the adjacent ends of the portions 18 and'19 coincident with the adjacent longitudinal edges of 'the portions 18 and 19. Suitable openings 21 are provided in' the end'por'tions 18 to permit the passage of nails and the like. so as to facilitate fastening of the strap to thehead block as and in a manner that will presently become apparent. V I

In forming the present anchoring device or strap from this blank, the end portions 18 are bent at rightangles to the central or intermediate portion. 19 on the lines 20. The central portion 19 is then formed into circular shape to conform to the shape of the shipping hub cap 13 used on the automobile hub 14, substantially as shown in Figures 2and3'. In applying. thehead block strap the interm'ediateportion 19 is disposed to project outwardly as shown in Figure 3, and the end portions 18 are flatly engaged with the inner face of the head block and secured in such position by means of nails passed through the openings 21 and driven into the head "blockas shown clearly in Figure 2. As

.the intermediate port-ion 19 projects outpurchasewill be had upon the shipping hub .wardly so as to overlie the seat 12, a' firm cap, and better engagement of the hub cap 'in the seat 12 is provided than would be the case were the portion 19 to project inwardly tance from the ends of the contacting porfrom the end portions 18, or inwardly rel ative to the la'tter. It will be noted that the central portion 19 of the strap and the notch or seat 12 of the head block 11 jointly form a circular opening of a size to snugly admit V ti0n'19 to the nailing locations is less than that of "theusual 'old "style. of strap, thereby lessening the possibility of stretching or loosening of the transit.

strap while the car'is in v-It will 'b'e noted that the design'of the blank as shown in Figure 4 is such as to permi t economical manufacture, inasmuch as the intermediate portions 19 are so located to allow progressive blanking transversely of a sheet of metal of given width, thereby eliminating material waste 1n manufacture.

From the above description it is believed that the construction, manner of use and advantages of the present invention Wlll be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

Minor changes -may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the :in-

ventionas claimed.

What I claim as new 1s:

1. A head block strap for automobile shipping'decks comprising a metal stri h ing end portions adapted to fiatly engage and be secured to the inner face of the head block, and an intermediate portion disposed at right angles to the end portions and curved to substantially conform to a wheel hub, the sides of the opposite ends of said intermediate portion being joined to ad jacent side edges of thejupp'er ends ofsaid end portions.

=2. A shipping decks formed'ifrom a, metal strip having longitudinally a'lined end portions head block strap for automobile connected by an intermediate portion offset 1 laterally of said: end portions in the plane Y of the s'trip,-said end portions being adapted to be bent at right angles to said intermediate portion, and said intermediatepon tion being adapted to jbefcurved to substan tia-llyconforrni'to a wheel 'hub.

3. The comb'na'tion with the head block circular seat in its upper edge to snugly receive'the'lower portion of a wheel hub, of a i strap.'forsecuring the hub insaid seat embodying end portionsfla'tly fastened to the inner face of the head block, and an intermediate por'tion curved to snugly fit over the upper portion of the wheel hub and dis- .posed at right angles to said end portions,

said intermediate portion projecting laterally outwardly of said. end portions, to overlie said-seat of the head block,

In testimony whereof I' affix my'signature.

oonnnnmsr. RUMELY. I

of an automobile shipping deck 'having'a 

